St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1887-08-11
A NEW ENGLAND GENTLEMAN.


Rep. J. E. Rankin d. d., in Oon0regationalist.
l know of no more appropriate title
for few "reminiscences of the late
Judge Luke 2. Poland of st. Johns
bury, VT. There is the Southern gen.
tleman, with his chivalry and gener-
GUS hospitality and testiness, and there
is the Northern gentleman, with his
unpretending integrity, his reverence
for what is high and noble in his an
cestry, and his native institutions, civil
and religious.
During most of my ministry in
Washington, Judge Poland was a
member of the congregation, and so
regular and attentive was he that he
was sometimes playfully characterized
as one of the deacOns. There was
Hon. E. b. French, with his stately
form and WashingtOnlike face on the
one side, and there was the snOw-white
head and black eyes and attentive
gaze of Judge Poland on the other
two landmarks on which my eyes al
ways fell.
Judge Poland's Washington manner
of life was of the simplest kind. AL
ways at home with his family or a few
select friends, enjoying reading aloud
from such writer's as Dickens, for
whose humOr he had an especial relish,
with no taste for anything unbecOming
a man, this is the manner in which he
sought relaxation from the public
cares, of which he bore so large a bur
den. l remember call upon his pas
tor, which became a historic one. 1t
was during the latter days of a session
in congress, and when they were hold
ing night sessions. So derelict had
the members become that absentees
were arrested by the sergeant-at- arms,
brought up before the bar of the house
and subjected to fine. 1t happened
that on this occasion Judge Poland
was thus brought up for the usual pen
atty. He appeared, and accounted for
his absence by stating that he had
just returned from making call on
his pastor. The excuse was so unique
for a congressman that the fine was at
once remitted amid much merriment
of those present.
AS an illustration of the instructive
reverence for sacred things, which
characterized Judge Poland's mind,
recall Il New England festival, Dec. %,
when, as representing Vermont, he
had a sentiment assigned him, with
the quotation, "The strength of the
hills is hers" He began by saying it
was not the province of one of his pro-
fessiOn to speak of the meaning of the
passage as it stood in the Word of
God and then passed to consider the
meaning of the words, as accommodate
ed to his native state. Vermont never
had more loyal son, nor one whose
service did her more honor. He loved
to expatiate on the simple manners
and habits of her people, and their re-
gard for sacred things.
Judge Poland died firm believer in
the old Orthodox faith, in which he
had been reared. He seemed to have
feeling that, as he should not think
very highly of the judicial opinion of
clergyman, so it did not become him
to set himself up as a teacher or au
thOrity in religious things. And while
he had no respect for shams in the
pulpit or the pews, he kept his I'M
swerving loyalty to the Word of God,
interpreted as his ancestors had inter
preted it. And one of his last acts
was to agree to make up all deficien-
cies in the maintenance of the Ortho-
dox Congregational church in Water
vile, if they would undertake self
suppOrt-a proposition which the little
church had accepted.
In his domestic relations Judge PO-
land was true to the New England
type. He was especially tender of the
little ones that called him grandpa.
Three times day, when at home, he
went over and visited them, usually
taking the babies among them into his
lap, and singing the nesting things off
to sleep at twilight. Indeed, the most
familiar memories of him will perhaps
be these, where he seemed to become
IA child again with those of the third
generation.
At Waterville he had lately purchas-
ed the old homestead of his wife's an
cestOrs, refitted it, and made it just
suited to the wants of himself and his
faithful companion, and was RECALLING
his later years with the country scenes
which he had loved in his bOyhOOd a
man who had served his generation in
a larger variety of capacities than falls
to the lot of many men; recognized
and honored in all self-made in the
best sense industrious, frugal, I'M
finching in his integrity his mind .ju-
dcial, his heart humane his princi
plies fixed from life habit; and, hui
manly speaking, likely to live ten or
fifteen years. 1t is touching illustra-
ton of the simplicity of his character,
that he who had served in the highest
places in the land, and had been
among the leaders there, closed his
public careers us member of the Yer
mont legislature, from the town of
Waterville. A second period of such
quiet service in his native state seem
ed before nina kind of pastime for
his declining years, when death came.
Over-exertiOn in moving away load
of hay, probably, brought upon him
the attack, which almost instantly ter
his life. There amid the hills
of his native Vermont, whose lights
and shadows had been so familiar from
his childhood, he sleeps with his ia
Tiers his life of service ended, his
name to be honored among the great
men of his state and his nation a
man who wore the judicial ermine
without a blot; a man who served his
first, and his party next; a
man whose last thought was of him
self.
A SMART FARMER.